The fact is, these Marines have probably prevented another war with the mission they've accomplished.

War is always seductive, ... 'Full Metal Jacket' didn't make me want to join the Marines. I already had fallen in love with the idea of combat. I think whether somebody feels that about our movie is subjective. It depends on the viewer. I got letters from people who said 'I was thinking about joining up and I read your book and now I can't wait' and I got letters from people who said 'I was thinking about joining up and I read your book and now I'm going to go to college.'

He was so proud to be there doing what he was doing. Not just the war part ... but the Marines and all the military people that are there have restored power, built schools, built hospitals and they have running water. Those are the things that nobody talks about and that nobody hears about.

These Marines are serving their country. They have had a tremendous loss. Every time a homecoming happens it is significant and special, but with these guys having the vice president coming makes it all the more exciting.

We are the ones responsible to determine whether the war that our marines, soldiers and airmen are fighting in is worth the cause.

The Japanese fought to win - it was a savage, brutal, inhumane, exhausting and dirty business. Our commanders knew that if we were to win and survive, we must be trained realistically for it whether we liked it or not. In the post-war years, the U.S. Marine Corps came in for a great deal of undeserved criticism in my opinion, from well-meaning persons who did not comprehend the magnitude of stress and horror that combat can be. The technology that developed the rifle barrel, the machine gun and high explosive shells has turned war into prolonged, subhuman slaughter. Men must be trained realistically if they are to survive it without breaking, mentally and physically.